Biznox

The Ridgeline is actually a very intelligently designed vehicle, except maybe for it's Element looks.

First of all, it is meant to compete with compact and mid-sized pickups, NOT full size trucks.

In that it does very well. It has equal or better payload and towing capacity to anything in it's class, excellent fuel mileage for it's class and ride and handling that NO pickup can come close to. Honda deserves credit for actually trying to innovate in the area of pickups instead of using the same old tired 60 year old formula.

Read up on it in detail before you knock it. It's a very capable truck with a solid AWD system, locking rear differential and road manners like a modern car instead of a horse wagon with leaf springs and a solid axle. It's a viable alternative to any compact or midsize pickup. Comparing it to a 9000 hp macho wagon Titan or F150 is just nonsensical.

djct_watt

I have, and I'm still knocking it.

I am a businessman, and I judge car companies as businesses. Better business usually equates to better cars, and in a competition heavy industry such as this, it's a VERY good basis of comparison. The ridgeline is an investment failure. . . a complete waste of resources. It never took off in direction Honda wanted, and is more a hippie-alternative vehicle. It has qualities, I'm sure, but commercial users just aren't buying it. Maybe it's because it isn't proven yet. . . maybe it is because it isn't attractive. Whatever the reason, there's not much of a market for Ridgelines.

And in the world of compact/midsize pickups, awd is a fancy option. The money makers are the two wheel drive models. A business owner isn't really going to take his restaurant food supply into muddy off-road terrain. Utility, utility, utility. . . and value, value, value. Sure, it may have some quirky features, but that bed is tiny. Value? Hardly!

The actual market of the ridgeline is more of a CRV/Pilot alternative. . .

Biznox

It's not for businesses.

2wd stripped models sold to painters and plumbers and small fleets are not what makes companies money, it's the 4WD loaded models that private citizens buy that pay the rent. That's who this is targeted at.

I agree that the controversial styling isn't helping sales though. I think their target audience is people who love Honda, but want a pickup and others who want midsize pickup utility but with the comfort and handling of a sporty SUV. I think anyone who fits that description and either likes or can get over the blocky styling would be well served by one of these.

What possible advantage could there be to buying a traditional midsized or compact truck with the buckboard leafspring ride and awful handling that lacks all the cool featues and cubby holes and what-not of the Ridgeline? Again, the Ridgeline does not sacrifice hauling or towing capability and it's AWD system, locking diff and ground clearance are more than sufficient for all but the most serious off-road enthusiasts. It can tow your speedboat or trailer, it can handle all the snow and muddy roads you want to throw at it and the 90% of the time MOST people aren't hauling or towing anything-- it drive and rides like a car instead of a WW2 era Jeep.

Sounds like win-win to me, except for the hideous styling. If it wasn't for the funky looks and the fact that American truck buyer equate engine displacement with the size of their genitalia, I think Honda would have a real winner here.

As it is, it will be a niche product, but I don't think Honda ever intended to make a dent in the traditional truck market--- then again one look at this vehicle and how it's designed should tell you that was never their intent.

djct_watt

That's exactly why the ridgeline isn't selling. . .

in traditional light duty truck sales, 2wd models outsell the 4wd models by a fairly large margin. Yes, they targeted a niche market, a very small one. It's a fine piece of engineering, as is a Pontiac Aztec. . . but the fact is, is that not many people want one. Same with the Ridgeline. I don't care how good the 4wd is, if it doesn't sell, it doesn't sell. The ridgeline DOES NOT sell.

Biznox

I agree it doesn't sell well.

Neither does the Lotus Elise or the Scion xA for that matter.

Doesn't mean they aren't good vehicles.

Citing traditional light duty 2WD truck sales isn't really relevant here since thats not what it is, nor was it intended to be at all.

That said, I'm betting Honda is probably disappointed by the sales. But I am sure they set realistically low sales targets.

I think if anythings hurting it, it's the funky looks. I don't Honda or anyone else ever thought that guys who hang drywall for a living were going to be lining up around the block to buy base model ridgelines with vinyl bench seats and no radio to go to Home Depot in--- that was never the point of this vehicle.

It's like you said, it's aimed at people who might buy a Pilot or something or non-traditional truck buyers who might want something like an Avalanche to haul their plasma screen TV home from Best Buy but don't want suspension technology from the 1930s and handling like a cement truck.

djct_watt

Yup. . .the xA is a pretty big flop. . . compared to the rest of the Scion line. However, they only stay on the dealer lot for a matter of weeks, which is far beyond most other vehicles, but definitely no comparison the xB or tC.

And the Elise does sell well, in fact. It doesn't have much of a problem meeting it's projected sales, which is the entire point of a niche vehicle.

Look, I think you missed my point. . . it's not that the Ridgeline is a complete POS, I'm sure it's built well. But the point is that nobody wants it, niche or not. . . and even if people want it, nobody buys it (because it is over priced). That's why it is a hippie wagon, that is why it is a flop. Not many people wanted it in the first place, and the price was set so high that most people turn to other alternatives.

For the price of a Ridgeline, you could just about buy both a CR-V and a stripped Tacoma for your plasma screen.

djct_watt

Anyways, this is getting extremely off topic, so we should just drop it. You aren't a stupid guy either, as you seem to argue with facts and reason. I'll take this as a friendly debate. I can see that it is a good vehicle, peray, but I still stand by my belief that it is and was a financial/executive mistake on Honda's part to build it. I guess we'll just agree to disagree =)

zinczipper

.....i can sell every xA i can get .

emiller

Ill agree that the Ridgeline is not going to be a big seller and its not meant to be. Its a truck for people who want truck looks without needing a real truck. For most people its probably all the truck they will need. Like the Aztek its ugly too which probably doesnt help it sell.

Biznox

We don't necessarily disagree. I think Honda screwed up too, because this thing is not selling well.

They should have made the styling more traditional and let go of their stupid aversion to anything bigger than a 3.5 liter V6 if they wanted to do something like this. Less Element and more Pilot-like styling and a 4+ liter V8 would have gone a long way. The only place we might disagree is in that I think there is a market for this type of vehicle--- I just think Honda's execution wasn't quite right.